Project Vote v. Reagan et al: Complaint

Transcription

Case 2:16-cv-01253-DKD Document 1 Filed 04/27/16 Page 1 of 81
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SACKS, RICKETTS & CASE LLP
Cynthia A. Ricketts, SBN 012668
[email protected]
Allison Kierman, SBN 024414
[email protected]
Natalya Ter-Grigoryan, SBN 029493
[email protected]
2800 North Central Avenue, Suite 1230
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Telephone: (602) 385-3370
Facsimile: (602) 385-3371
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Attorneys for Plaintiff Project Vote, Inc.
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
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) Case No.
)
)
Plaintiff,
) COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND
) INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
v.
)
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Michele Reagan, in her official capacity as )
Secretary of State, State of Arizona; Helen )
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Purcell, in her official capacity as County
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Recorder of Maricopa County; F. Ann
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Rodriguez, in her official capacity as County )
Recorder of Pima County,
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Defendants. )
Project Vote, Inc.,
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INTRODUCTION
1.
Plaintiff Project Vote, Inc. (“Project Vote”) brings this lawsuit under the National
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Voter Registration Act of 1993 (“NVRA”), 52 U.S.C. §§ 20501, et seq., and under the Equal
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Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to challenge
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Arizona’s practices of charging excessive, discriminatory, and illegal fees for access to public
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election records and limiting access to those records.
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2.
Project Vote is a national, non-partisan organization whose mission is to build an
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electorate that accurately represents the diversity of this nation’s citizenry and to ensure that every
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eligible citizen can register, vote, and cast a ballot that counts. To this end, Project Vote partners
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with other voter registration organizations to conduct and facilitate voter registration drives.
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Through records requests and dialogue with election officials, Project Vote works to confirm that
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applicants in underrepresented constituencies are properly added to, and not improperly removed
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from, the voter rolls. Access to the public election records that must be made available for public
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inspection and photocopying under the NVRA is critical to Project Vote’s mission.
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3.
The NVRA was enacted with the stated purposes of increasing “the number of
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eligible citizens who register to vote” in federal elections, “enhanc[ing] the participation of
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eligible citizens as voters,” “protect[ing] the integrity of the electoral process,” and “ensur[ing]
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that accurate and current voter registration rolls are maintained.” 52 U.S.C. § 20501(b). In service
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of these goals, the NVRA includes a provision that requires states to make available “all records
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concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring
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the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters.” 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i)(1) (the “Public
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Disclosure Provision”). The public availability of and access to these registration records ensures
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that citizens and voter registration organizations have a role in overseeing the voter registration
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process by bringing the state’s election apparatus out from the shadows to guard against
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capricious, negligent, or discriminatory practices.
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4.
The many benefits that flow from public disclosure of registration records are
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threatened when states impose arbitrary, unjustified fees as a precondition of the records’ release.
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Arizona imposes such arbitrary, unjustified fees in violation of the NVRA. The considerable fees
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that Arizona demands from non-partisan organizations like Project Vote for access to registration
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records limit the ability of private citizens and associations to monitor the activities of state
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election officials. Moreover, Arizona imposes such fees in a discriminatory manner in violation of
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the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
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Arizona provides political parties free access to registration records, see A.R.S. § 16-168(C), while
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denying such free access to similarly situated organizations such as Project Vote. See id. at § 16-
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168(E).
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5.
Project Vote asks that this Court grant equitable and declaratory relief to ensure
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that Arizona election officials fulfill their obligation under federal law to make such records
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available for public inspection without imposing improper and discriminatory fees. Specifically,
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Project Vote asks that this Court declare that Arizona must make all of its voter registration
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records publicly available for inspection and provide Project Vote with electronic copies of
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Arizona’s computerized voter registration records at a reasonable cost.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
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This action is brought under 52 U.S.C. § 20510(b) and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to redress
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the deprivation, under color of state law, of rights secured by federal statutes and the Constitution
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of the United States.
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This Court has jurisdiction to adjudicate this complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and
28 U.S.C. § 1367, and it may issue a declaratory judgment and provide for further relief pursuant
to 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201 and 2202.
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8.
Venue lies in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391.
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9.
An actual and justiciable controversy exists between the parties.
PARTIES
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10.
Project Vote is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization
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existing under the laws of Louisiana, with its principal office in the District of Columbia. Project
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Vote is founded on the belief that an organized, diverse electorate is the key to a better America.
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Project Vote’s mission is to build an electorate that accurately represents the diversity of this
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nation’s citizenry and to ensure that every eligible citizen can register, vote, and cast a ballot that
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counts. To further this goal, Project Vote conducts and assists voter registration drives and
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requests public voting records to ensure that the applications collected from eligible applicants
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result in registered voters and that eligible voters are not improperly removed from the voter rolls.
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As part of its mission to verify that eligible voters are properly added to the voter
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rolls and not unlawfully removed, Project Vote uses records maintained by state and county
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officials. Regular access to updated voter files is important to reviewing the integrity and accuracy
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of the voter rolls.
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12.
In addition to its efforts to ensure that eligible voters are added to and not removed
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from the voter rolls, Project Vote engages in nonpartisan get-out-the-vote activities to encourage
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participation. In 2012, Project Vote staff participated in get-out-the-vote activities in Arizona.
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Effective get-out-the-vote activities are possible only if eligible voters can be identified through
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voter records.
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13.
Project Vote’s advocacy, research, and civic engagement activities in Arizona are
currently limited by the prohibitively high cost of voter registration records in Arizona.
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Defendant Michele Reagan (“the Secretary”) is sued in her official capacity as
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Secretary of State and as the chief election officer of Arizona. Under Arizona law, the Secretary’s
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responsibilities include oversight of campaign finance for statewide and legislative candidates,
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verifying initiatives and referenda for the ballot, and certifying the official results of each election.
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See A.R.S. § 41-121. As Secretary of State and the chief election officer, the Secretary is also
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responsible for coordinating Arizona’s responsibilities under the NVRA. See A.R.S. § 16-
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142(A)(1). The Secretary is charged with enacting rules and regulations, issuing instructions, and
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providing information consistent with the election laws to the electoral boards and registrars in
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order to promote the proper administration of election laws. See A.R.S. § 16-452; see also A.R.S.
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§§ 19-124(F), 41-121(A)(9), 16-550, 16-551. For example, pursuant to the Secretary’s rule-
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making authority under A.R.S. § 16-452, the Secretary has instructed county recorders and
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election officials to provide free electronic copies of precinct voting records to political party
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chairpersons. See Office of the Arizona Secretary of State, Elections Procedures Manual (June
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2014), available at
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https://www.azsos.gov/sites/azsos.gov/files/election_procedure_manual_2014.pdf.
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15.
Defendant Helen Purcell is sued in her official capacity as County Recorder of
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Maricopa County. As County Recorder, Ms. Purcell is responsible for maintaining lists of electors
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registered to vote in Maricopa County, see A.R.S. §§ 16-163 – 16-166, and is responsible for
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providing copies of voter lists to political parties free of charge and copies of voter lists to others
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upon payment of a fee. See id. §§ 16-168(C), (E).
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16.
Defendant F. Ann Rodriguez is sued in her official capacity as County Recorder of
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Pima County. As County Recorder, Ms. Rodriguez is responsible for maintaining lists of electors
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registered to vote in Pima County, see A.R.S. §§ 16-163 – 16-166, and is responsible for providing
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copies of voter lists to political parties free of charge and copies of voter lists to others upon
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payment of a fee. See id. §§ 16-168(C), (E).
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FEDERAL AND STATE STATUTORY FRAMEWORKS
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The National Voter Registration Act, 52 U.S.C. §§ 20501, et seq.
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17.
Congress enacted the NVRA to protect the integrity of the electoral process by
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better securing the fundamental right to vote with improved voter registration procedures. Pub. L.
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No. 103-31, 107 Stat. 77 (1993) (codified at 52 U.S.C. §§ 20501, et seq.). In so doing, Congress
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mandated reform to remedy “discriminatory and unfair registration laws and procedures” that have
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“direct and damaging” effects on voter participation in federal elections and that
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disproportionately impact voter participation among racial minorities. 52 U.S.C. § 20501(a)(3). To
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this end, the NVRA imposes a variety of requirements on states concerning voter registration
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procedures and policies. See, e.g., id. §§ 20503-20507, 20509.
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Critical to the NVRA are the requirements that the “integrity of the electoral
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process” is protected and that “accurate and current voter registration rolls [be] maintained.” Id. §
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20501(b)(3)-(4); accord id. § 20507(b). To protect that integrity and ensure that the rolls are
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accurate and current, the Public Disclosure Provision requires states to make voter registration
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records publicly available for inspection and photocopying:
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Each State shall maintain for at least 2 years and shall make available for public
inspection and, where available, photocopying at a reasonable cost, all records
concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purposes
of ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters, except to the
extent that such records relate to a declination to register to vote or to the identity of
a voter registration agency through which any particular voter is registered.
52 U.S.C. § 20507(i)(1) (emphasis added). The Public Disclosure Provision is essential to the
NVRA’s purpose of ensuring accurate and non-discriminatory voter registration practices because
it allows the public to confirm that states are abiding by federal law. See id. § 20501(b).
19.
The data contained in Arizona’s computerized state voter registration records
(“voter file”) is subject to disclosure under the Public Disclosure Provision as it is unquestionably
a record concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of
ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters. Pursuant to the NVRA,
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Arizona officials are obligated to produce the computerized voter file “for public inspection[.]” Id.
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§ 20507(i)(1). Arizona officials are obligated to provide such records in an electronic file so that
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the data may be examined by the requesting party in the manner in which they are maintained and
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in a manner that allows the examining party to verify the integrity of the data, and ensure that the
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list of eligible voters is current and accurate.
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20.
County-level data regarding current voter lists, requests for an early voting ballot
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and/or absentee ballot application, and the processing of early voting ballots and/or absentee
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ballots are subject to disclosure under the Public Disclosure Provision, as they are unquestionably
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records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of
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ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters. Pursuant to the NVRA,
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Arizona officials are obligated to produce such county-level records “for public inspection[.]” Id.
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If photocopying is available, voter records subject to the Public Disclosure
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Provision must be made available for “photocopying at a reasonable cost[.]” Id. Electronic copies
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of electronically maintained records are photocopies within the meaning of the NVRA. The plain
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language of the Public Disclosure Provision thus prohibits Arizona officials from charging
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copying costs that are disproportionately high in relation to the actual cost of producing an
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electronic copy of voter records. The NVRA provides that Arizona may charge only for the
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reasonable cost of photocopying. See id.
The Equal Protection Clause and A.R.S. § 16-168
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The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States
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Constitution guarantees “equal protection of the laws” and is “essentially a direction that all
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persons similarly situated should be treated alike.” City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Ctr., 473
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U.S. 432, 439 (1985).
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23.
Arizona law requires county recorders to provide electronic copies of precinct lists
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of qualified voters “without charge” to the county and state chairmen of certain political parties.
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A.R.S. § 16-168(C). Precinct lists are also provided to other persons for non-commercial uses, but
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only if the requesting party pays a fee of five cents for each voter name reproduced in a printed list
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and one cent for each name in an electronic copy. Id. § 16-168(C).
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FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
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Arizona election officials maintain the state’s voter registration information in an
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electronic database. Arizona election officials are prepared to provide much of the information
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housed in this database in an electronic medium but refuse to release the information unless
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Project Vote pays one cent for each name contained in the records provided, relying on A.R.S. §
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16-168(E). See Apr. 13, 2015, Letter to Project Vote from J. Driscoll-MacEachron, attached hereto
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as Exhibit 1.
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25.
Project Vote sent letters to the Director of Maricopa County Elections and Director
of Pima County Elections on November 30, 2012, requesting (1) an electronic copy of the current
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voter list for Maricopa and Pima Counties; (2) data regarding requests for early voting ballot
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and/or absentee ballot applications; and (3) data relating to the processing of early voting ballots
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and/or absentee ballots. See Nov. 30, 2012, Letter from Project Vote to K. Osborne, attached as
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Exhibit 2; Nov. 30, 2012, Letter from Project Vote to B. Nelson, attached hereto as Exhibit 3.
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The following month, Project Vote received a letter from the Maricopa County
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Attorney’s Office indicating that the requested records were available but that Defendant Ms.
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Purcell’s Maricopa County Recorder’s Office would require Project Vote to pay nearly $50,000 to
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obtain the electronic information. See Dec. 21, 2012, Letter to Project Vote from R. Pennington,
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attached hereto as Exhibit 4.
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On February 3, 2014, Project Vote sent a letter to the Director of Pima County
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Elections requesting electronic records, including a list of voters removed from the Pima County
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rolls in December 2012 and December 2013. See Feb. 3, 2014, Letter from Project Vote to B.
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Nelson, attached hereto as Exhibit 5.
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Christopher Roads of Defendant Ms. Rodriguez’s Pima County Recorder’s Office
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responded that the list of voters removed from the Pima County rolls could be provided only if
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Project Vote paid a programming fee of $50.00 per hour as well as various “costs for particular
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data fields.” See Mar. 3, 2014, Letter to Project Vote from C. Roads, attached hereto as Exhibit 6.
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29.
On August 5, 2014, Project Vote submitted yet another request for Arizona voter
list maintenance records, this time through the Secretary’s office. The request sought a list of all
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registered voters whose registrations (1) had been canceled between May 1, 2014, and the date the
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Secretary’s office responded to the request or (2) had not been removed but had been sent a notice
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requesting updated address information during the same timeframe, with a copy of the sample
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notice. Project Vote also requested records concerning planned list maintenance activities. See
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Aug. 5, 2014, Letter to the Secretary, attached hereto as Exhibit 7.
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30.
The Secretary’s office responded that it did not possess the requested information,
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despite the fact that the NVRA requires Arizona to maintain these records and make them
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available for inspection at no cost or photocopy the records at a reasonable cost. See Aug. 18,
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2014, Letter from the Secretary to Project Vote, attached hereto as Exhibit 8.
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31.
On February 24, 2015, Project Vote provided written notice to the Secretary that
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the “State of Arizona and its local election authorities are operating in violation of” the Public
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Disclosure Provision of the NVRA and provided notice that if such violations are not corrected
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within 90 days, Project Vote may bring an enforcement action pursuant to Section 11(b) of the
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NVRA (codified at 52 U.S.C. § 20510(b)). See Feb. 24, 2015, Letter from Project Vote to the
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Secretary, attached hereto as Exhibit 9.
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32.
On April 13, 2015, Arizona’s Assistant Attorney General, Jim Driscoll-
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MacEachron, responded and asked that Project Vote “submit a list of the records you seek [to
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inspect] and allow sufficient time for those records to be gathered” and notified Project Vote that
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“additional fees may apply for the creation of new lists or reports.” See Exhibit 1.
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33.
Project Vote submitted the list of documents it requested be made available for
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inspection under the NVRA on July 15, 2015. See July 15, 2015, Letter from Project Vote to J.
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Driscoll-MacEachron, attached hereto as Exhibit 10.
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34.
Mr. Driscoll-MacEachron responded on August 12, 2015, stating only that the
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Secretary’s office is “in the process of gathering information for inspection,” without providing a
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date certain as to when such information would be gathered and/or when Project Vote could
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inspect the records. See Aug. 12, 2015, Letter from J. Driscoll-MacEachron to Project Vote,
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attached hereto as Exhibit 11.
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35.
Mr. Driscoll-MacEachron subsequently informed Project Vote that certain
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requested records would be made available at the Secretary’s office and proposed inspection dates.
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See Sept. 21, 2015, Letter to Project Vote from J. Driscoll-MacEachron, attached hereto as
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Exhibit 12.
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Project Vote responded on November 2, 2015, and provided clarification of records
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it sought to be made available for inspection. See Nov. 2, 2015, Letter from Project Vote to J.
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Driscoll-MacEachron, attached hereto as Exhibit 13.
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37.
Mr. Driscoll-MacEachron replied that the Secretary “should be able to produce
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records for inspection that are responsive to many of your requests.” See Nov. 4, 2015, Letter to
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Project Vote from J. Driscoll-MacEachron, attached hereto as Exhibit 14. The November 4 letter
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also stated that records would be available for inspection on November 6, 2015. See id. at 2.
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38.
Project Vote, through its General Counsel Brian Mellor, appeared at the Secretary’s
office on November 6, 2015, to inspect the Secretary’s records.
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Mr. Mellor was permitted to verbally request certain electronic searches that were
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entered by one of the Secretary’s agents and to view some, but not all, of the results, which
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appeared six rows at a time on the computer screen. Each search result corresponded to a
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particular voter.
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40.
Additional details regarding a particular voter were visible by clicking on a search
result and accessing a new screen that featured various tabs containing the new information.
41.
Notwithstanding the Public Disclosure Provision, the Secretary did not permit
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Project Vote to arrange and categorize the electronic voter information in the same way a local
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official would be able to, and as Project Vote had requested, and prohibited Project Vote from
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viewing certain screens altogether. See 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i)(1).
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42.
Notwithstanding the Public Disclosure Provision, the Secretary did not permit
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Project Vote to obtain, at a reasonable fee, electronic copies of the voluminous electronic records
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or search results in the format maintained by Arizona. See id. The only option available to Mr.
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Mellor was to transcribe limited data by hand, effectively precluding Project Vote from
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meaningfully inspecting the records in order to verify the accuracy of the election records or the
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propriety of the practices yielding such records.
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Defendants Have Violated the NVRA by Refusing to Allow Project Vote to
Inspect Certain Electronic Records at No Cost and by Attempting to Assess
Unreasonable Fees for Copying Electronic Records
43.
Defendants have not made the voter records available for inspection within the
meaning of the NVRA.
44.
With respect to records kept electronically, electronic copies of such records are
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“photocopies” within the meaning of the NVRA. Defendants’ conduct of charging one cent for
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each name associated with a voter registration record violates the reasonableness requirement of
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the Public Disclosure Provision because the formula results in fees of tens of thousands of dollars
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and bears no relation to the actual cost of producing electronic copies of the records.
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45.
Despite Project Vote’s written objections to the imposition of any fee for the
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inspection of records and the imposition of a disproportionately high fee for producing an
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electronic copy of electronically-maintained voter registration records, the Secretary has refused to
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eliminate and/or reduce such fees.
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46.
The NVRA’s civil enforcement provision creates a private right of action for
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persons “aggrieved by a violation” after providing “written notice of the violation to the chief
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election official of the State involved.” 52 U.S.C. § 20510(b). If the violation is not corrected
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within 90 days after that official’s receipt of such notice, the aggrieved person may bring a civil
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action in the appropriate district court for declaratory or injunctive relief with respect to the
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violation. Id.
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47.
As outlined above, the Secretary has failed to take remedial action within the 90-
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day period prescribed by 52 U.S.C. § 20510(b), refusing to charge a reasonable cost as required by
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the Public Disclosure Provision.
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48.
Upon information and belief, voting records are provided to political parties
without the assessment of any fee. See A.R.S. § 16-168(C).
49.
Project Vote brings this suit to enforce its private right of action and rights under
the NVRA and to challenge Arizona’s policy of imposing unreasonable and unlawful fees for the
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inspection and copying of voter registration records. Because these unreasonable and unlawful
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fees are imposed upon Project Vote and the public generally but are not imposed upon major
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political parties, Project Vote also challenges Arizona’s imposition of fees as a violation of the
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Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
COUNT I
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Violation of the NVRA, 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i)(1)
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50.
Project Vote repeats and re-alleges the preceding allegations as though fully set
forth herein.
51.
The Public Disclosure Provision unambiguously requires that statewide voter
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registration records be made available to the public for inspection free of charge and that
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photocopies of the voter registration records be provided at a reasonable cost. 52 U.S.C. §
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20507(i)(1).
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52.
Defendants have violated, and continue to violate, the Public Disclosure Provision
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by refusing to make the voter file available for inspection by Project Vote within the meaning of
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the NVRA.
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53.
Defendants have violated, and continue to violate, the Public Disclosure Provision
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by refusing to provide copies of the records identified in Project Vote’s requests in an electronic
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medium unless Project Vote paid nearly $50,000—notwithstanding the ease with which the
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requested information can be electronically copied.
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54.
The NVRA and its Public Disclosure Provision place binding requirements on the
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states. To the extent that any state law, as applied in the context of voter registration records,
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conflicts with the NVRA, such law is preempted and superseded by the NVRA as a federal statute.
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55.
To the extent that any Arizona statute, regulation, practice, or policy allows
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officials to charge for making documents available for public inspection, such provisions,
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practices, and policies conflict with the plain language of the NVRA and are therefore invalid,
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unenforceable, and preempted by the NVRA.
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COUNT II
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Violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
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56.
forth herein.
57.
Defendants give preferential treatment to political parties in allowing access to
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voter records. In particular, political parties receive free access to a significant range of records
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under A.R.S. § 16-168(C).
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58.
Defendants’ refusal to allow Project Vote access to the requested records without
charging an excessive fee constitutes disparate treatment.
59.
This disparate treatment imposes serious burdens on Project Vote’s First
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Amendment rights of speech and association and on electors’ First Amendment rights of
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association and Fourteenth Amendment voting rights.
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60.
Any legitimate interest the State of Arizona may have in charging excessive fees
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for access to records is slight in comparison to the burdens on Project Vote’s rights of speech and
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association and on electors’ association and voting rights.
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61.
Defendants’ actions therefore violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment.
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COUNT III
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Declaratory Judgment
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62.
forth herein.
63.
A justiciable controversy exists between Project Vote and Defendants concerning
Defendants’ obligations under the Public Disclosure Provision and the NVRA.
64.
There is no adequate remedy, other than that requested herein, by which this
controversy may be resolved.
65.
Project Vote seeks a declaration to resolve the controversy between the parties
regarding Defendants’ obligations under the Public Disclosure Provision and the NVRA.
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66.
The Court should make declarations about Defendants’ obligations under the
Public Disclosure Provision, including, but not limited to the following:
a.
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The Public Disclosure Provision unambiguously requires that voter
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registration records in the voter file be made available to the public for
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inspection free of charge and that photocopies of these records be provided
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to the public at a reasonable cost.
b.
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Defendants must allow Project Vote to inspect voter registration records in
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the voter file free of charge and/or allow Project Vote to inspect records
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regarding current voter lists, requests for early voting ballot and/or absentee
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ballot applications, and the processing of early voting ballots and/or
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absentee ballots free of charge.
c.
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electronic form free of charge or at a reasonable cost of copying the records.
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Defendants must disclose the records requested by Project Vote in
67.
Project Vote is entitled to a declaratory judgment against Defendants.
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COUNT IV
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Injunctive Relief
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68.
forth herein.
69.
Absent injunctive relief, Project Vote will suffer irreparable harm in that it will be
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hampered in its mission of making sure that eligible voters can register, vote, and cast a ballot that
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counts. Specifically, Project Vote will be hampered in educating and assisting Arizona voters to
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register in this election cycle, and will be prevented from assessing whether eligible voters are
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properly added to and not removed from the Arizona voter rolls in time to exercise their rights to
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vote in the upcoming elections.
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70.
Legal remedies are inadequate to address the state’s continuing violation of the
NVRA. No award of damages would allow Project Vote to fully carry out its mission.
71.
Project Vote is likely to prevail on the merits because Defendants’ conduct
contravenes the plain language of the Public Disclosure Provision and it is in the public’s interests
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to ensure protection of their rights under the NVRA and Equal Protection Clause of the United
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States Constitution.
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72.
The balance of interests, reflected in the Public Disclosure Provision, weighs
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strongly in favor of public access to these voter records. Granting injunctive relief would cause no
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harm to the state, which would be required to do nothing more than fulfill a statutory duty to
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provide access.
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73.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
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WHEREFORE, Project Vote respectfully requests that this Court enter judgment in its
10
favor and:
11
A)
12
13
14
15
Project Vote is entitled to injunctive relief.
Declare that Defendants are in violation of the Public Disclosure Provision of the
NVRA;
B)
Declare that the NVRA preempts any Arizona law, rule, regulation, or policy that
Arizona officials rely upon in charging improper fees for election records;
C)
Declare that the NVRA preempts any Arizona law, rule, regulation, or policy that
16
Arizona officials rely on in failing to make available for public inspection, without cost, all
17
records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of
18
ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters, except to the extent that such
19
records relate to a declination to register to vote or to the identity of a voter registration agency
20
through which any particular voter is registered;
21
D)
Declare that the provision of voting records to political parties without charge
22
while charging fees to others seeking the same records for similar reasons violates the Equal
23
Protection Clause of the United States Constitution;
24
E)
Permanently enjoin Defendants from charging unreasonable and discriminatory
25
fees not permitted by the Public Disclosure Provision of the NVRA and in violation of the Equal
26
Protection Clause of the United States Constitution;
27
28
F)
Permanently enjoin Defendants from limiting access to records required to be made
available for public inspection by the Public Disclosure Provision of the NVRA;
-14-
1
G)
Award Project Vote costs and fees incurred in pursuing this action, including
2
attorneys’ fees and reasonable expenses, as authorized by 52 U.S.C. § 20510(c), 42 U.S.C. § 1988,
3
and other applicable provisions; and
4
H)
Grant such other and further relief as the Court deems proper.
5
Dated this 27th day of April, 2016.
6
SACKS, RICKETTS & CASE LLP
7
By: s/Allison Kierman
Cynthia A. Ricketts
Allison Kierman
Natalya Ter-Grigoryan
2800 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1230
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 385-3370
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
8
9
10
11
12
13
and
14
18
Michelle E. Kanter Cohen
(pro hac vice application forthcoming)
PROJECT VOTE
1420 K Street NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 546-4173
[email protected]
19
and
15
16
17
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Colleen A. Conry
Adam E. Winship
Ian B. Brooks
ROPES & GRAY LLP
2099 Pennsylvania Ave NW
(202) 508-4695
[email protected]
Attorneys for Plaintiff
Project Vote, Inc.
27
28
-15-
EXHIBIT 1
EXHIBIT 2
EXHIBIT 3
EXHIBIT 4
EXHIBIT 5
EXHIBIT 6
EXHIBIT 7
August 5, 2014
By E-mail
The Honorable Ken Bennett
Secretary of State
1700 W. Washington Street, Fl. 7
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2808
Dear Secretary Bennett:
Project Vote hopes to gain an understanding of your voter list maintenance practices. Pursuant to
Section 8(i) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-6(i)) and
Arizona Revised Statutes Title 39, Chapter 1, Article 2, we respectfully request the following:
1. A list of all registered voters whose registrations have been canceled between May 1,
2014 and the date you respond to this request, including the following information:
a. First name
b. Last name
c. Middle name or initial (if any)
d. Suffix (if any)
e. Address
f. Date of birth
g. Arizona-assigned voter ID
h. Date canceled
i. Reason canceled
j. For cancelations based on change-of-address:
i. An indication of each voter that was sent a notice requesting updated
address information, and the date the notice was sent
ii. An indication of each voter who responded to the notice, and the date of
the response
iii. An indication of each notice that was returned to election officials by
means other than the voter responding (e.g., returned-as-undeliverable),
what that means of return was, and the date the notice was returned
iv. An indication of each notice that was not, or has not yet been, returned to
election officials
2. A list of all registered voters whose registrations have not been removed but have been
sent a notice requesting updated address information between May 1, 2014 and the date
you respond to this request, including:
a. First name
b. Last name
805 15th Street NW • Suite 250 • Washington, DC. 20005
(202) 546-4173 T • (202) 733-4762 F • www.projectvote.org
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Suffix (if any)
Address
Date of birth
Arizona-assigned voter ID
The date each notice was sent to a voter
An indication of each voter that responded to the notice, and the date of the
response
j. An indication of each notice that was returned to election officials by means other
than the voter responding (e.g., returned-as-undeliverable), what that means of
return was, and the date the notice was returned
k. An indication of each notice that was not, or has not yet been, returned to election
officials
3. A sample notice sent to voters that requests updated address information
4. Any records concerning any plans or procedures for list maintenance that you are
conducting or instructing local election authorities to conduct between May 1, 2014 and
November 4, 2014.
To the extent possible, I prefer to inspect this information in an electronic format, such as Excel
files or text files readable by a spreadsheet program. Please note that this information is being
requested for nonpartisan, non-commercial research purposes. As a courtesy, I have included a
completed copy of the State of Arizona Public Records Request form.
I appreciate your time and assistance, and I look forward to your response. If you have any
questions or would like clarification regarding this inquiry, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Stephen Mortellaro
Election Counsel*
Project Vote
805 15th Street NW, Suite 250
(202) 546-4173 ext. 308
[email protected]
*Licensed to practice law only in Maryland. Practice in D.C. limited to cases in federal court.
EXHIBIT 8
EXHIBIT 9
EXHIBIT 10
EXHIBIT 11
EXHIBIT 12
EXHIBIT 13
November2,2015
ViaEmail
Mr.JimDriscoll-MacEachron
AssistantAttorneyGeneral
OfficeoftheArizonaAttorneyGeneral
1275WestWashingtonStreet
Phoenix,Arizona85007-2926
[email protected]
Re:NationalVoterRegistrationActRequest
DearMr.Driscroll-MacEachron:
Thefollowingismyresponsetoyourrequestforrecordsfromthedatabaseand
othersourcesProjectVoterequestsbeavailableforinspection.
1. ProjectVotewouldlikethedatabasefieldslistedbelowavailableforinspection.
Thefieldscorrespondwithavailableinformation,accordingtoyourletter,and
alsoincludearequestforadditionaldate,status,demographic,andactionfields
(seeitemsm,n,ando).
a. Firstname
b. Lastname
c. Middlename
d. Streetnumberandaddress
e. Apartmentnumber
f. City
g. State
h. ZipCode
i. MailingAddress,ifdifferent
j. Phonenumber(includingareacode)
k. Dateofbirth
l. VoterIDnumber(nottheIDnumberprovidedbytheapplicant)
m. DateFields
i. Allfieldsformattedasdate,includingtotheextentthefield
exists:
1. Dateapplicationsubmitted,
805 15TH Street NW • Suite 250 • Washington, DC. 20005
Mr. Driscroll-MacEachron
Page 2 of 4
n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.
2. Datethatwoulddetermineiftheapplicationwas
submittedbeforethebookswereclosed,
3. Datetheapplicationwasnotapproved,dateregistered,
changeofstatusdate,and
4. Cancellationdate(datethevoterwasnolonger
consideredonthevotingrollandwouldhavehadto
voteprovisionallyifthevoterappearedatthepolls).
Status/ActionFields–
i. Allfieldsthatcontainastatusoractioncode,includingtothe
extentthefieldexists:
1. CurrentStatus,
2. ReasonforCurrentStatus,
3. VotingHistory,and
4. PastActivities–Letterssent,ResponsestoLetter.
DemographicFields-
i. Allfieldsthatcontaindemographicinformationincluding,to
theextentthefieldexists:
1. Age,
2. Race,
3. Gender,and
4. Ethnicity.
Stateorcountryofbirth
Statusofvoter(suspended,active,inactive,FEDonlyvoter,canceled,
notregistered,noteligibleetc.)
Reasonforstatusofvoter(e.g.,MOV,MOVA,INVR,NVRA,PROV,etc.,
seeArizonaElectionProcedureManualat34(Revised2014))
Whetherthepersonrequestedanearlyvotingballotand/orabsentee
ballot
2. ProjectVotewouldlikethedatalistedbelowmadeavailableforinspection.
a. Allpreviouslyregisteredvoterswhoseregistrationshavebeen
canceledorchangedtoinactivesinceJune2012,andthereasonfor
cancellationorchangetoinactive,dateofcancellation,programor
activityunderwhichtheyhavebeencancelledorcodessufficientto
determinethatinformation(e.g.,NVRA8(d)mailing,NCOAmailing,
InterstateCrosscheck,etc.),andincludingtheinformationlistedinNo.
1(a)-(q).
b. Allpost-October2013voterregistrationapplicantswhowerenot
addedtothelistofeligiblevoters.
c. Allregisteredvoters,and
d. AllrecordsreceivedfromtheKansasSecretaryofStateaspartofthe
InterstateCrossCheckProject.
Page 3 of 4
Iintendtoinspectthedatamadeavailableforinspectiontodetermine
whetherapplicantshavebeenomittedfromthelistofeligiblerolls,or
removedfromthoserolls,becauseofpracticesthatfailtocomplywith
federalelectionslaws.
Ineedtobeabletomanipulatethedatato:
i.
Compiledatatodeterminetheimpactofelectionofficial
practicesonspecificdemographics,jurisdictions,zipcodes,
precinctsandothercharacteristics,
ii.
Matchdatawithotherlists,suchasthelistofpersonsprovided
bytheKansaSecretaryofStateaspartoftheInterstateCross
CheckProject,and
iii.
Analyzedatatodetermineifthereareanomaliesintheway
demographic,geographical,orothersubsetsof
applicants/registeredvotersareprocessed,approvedor
cancelledthatflagapolicyorpracticethatmaynotcomply
withfederallaws.
3. Recordssufficienttoshowthemeaningofallcodes,fields,andabbreviations
usedintheaboverecordssuchasthenameanddescriptionoffieldsinthedata
andadescriptionofeachcodeusedinafield;forexample,thefieldnamed
“FName”isFirstName,ora“P”intheStatusfieldmeans“Pending.”
4. Asampleletterforeachtypeofnoticeusedtonotifypersonsoftheirchangein
voterregistrationstatus.
5. Allwrittenpolicies,manuals,orotherguidanceprovidedtoSecretaryofState
staff,contractors,electionofficials,orotherrelevantpersonsregardingthe
processingofvoterregistrationapplicationsandpreparationofvoterrolls.
Recordsshouldbesufficienttodeterminethemethodsandmeansofhowvoters
wereassignedaparticularcode,includingmatchingcriteriaused.ProjectVote
requeststhesematerialstounderstandhowandwhyeachapplicantisassigned
thestatedreasonsforrejectionorcancelation,aswellascircumstancesunder
whichchangesaremadeinthedatabasefields.
6. TotheextentnotincludedinNo.5above,allwrittenpolicies,manuals,orother
guidanceutilizedtoconductlistmaintenanceactivitiesatthestateorcounty
level.Recordsshouldbesufficienttodeterminethemethodsandmeansofhow
voterswereassignedtoaparticularcode,includingmatchingcriteriaused.To
theextentanyofthisinformationisnotmaintainedbythestate,pleasemakeit
availablefromcountyrecords.
7. Anyandalllistsofvoterregistrationswhichwereprovidedbythestateelection
officialtocountyelectionofficialsforthepurposeofthecountyeithermaking
anychangeinstatusorinvestigatingtherecordforchangeinstatus,alongwith
Page 4 of 4
anyaccompanyingguidance,correspondence,orotherdocumentrelatedtouse
ofthoselistsforsuchpurpose.Recordsprovidedshouldinclude,butnotbe
limitedto,thoserelatedtouseforlistmaintenancepurposesoftheInterstate
CrosscheckProgramadministeredbythestateofKansas.
8. Allcorrespondenceprovidedtoorreceivedfromcountyofficialsrelatedtothe
informationinNo.5andNo.6,above.
Thankyouforworkingwithmetoensureasuccessfulinspection.
Sincerely,
-S-
BrianMellor
GeneralCounsel
ProjectVote
202-553-4317
[email protected]
EXHIBIT 14
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
Civil Cover Sheet
This automated JS-44 conforms generally to the manual JS-44 approved by the Judicial Conference of the United States in
September 1974. The data is required for the use of the Clerk of Court for the purpose of initiating the civil docket sheet. The
information contained herein neither replaces nor supplements the filing and service of pleadings or other papers as required
by law. This form is authorized for use only in the District of Arizona.
The completed cover sheet must be printed directly to PDF and filed as an attachment
to the Complaint or Notice of Removal.
Plaintiff(s):Project Vote, Inc.
Secretary of State, State of
Arizona, Michele Reagan, in her
official capacity ; County Recorder,
Defendant(s): Maricopa County, Helen Purcell, in
her official capacity ; County
Reorder, Pima County, F. Ann
Rodriguez, in her official capacity
County of Residence: Outside the State of Arizona
County of Residence: Maricopa
County Where Claim For Relief Arose: Maricopa
Plaintiff's Atty(s):
Cynthia Ricketts ( Project Vote, Inc. )
Sacks, Ricketts & Case LLP
2800 N Central Ave, Ste. 1230
Phoenix, Arizona 85004
6023853370
Allison Kierman ( Project Vote, Inc. )
6023853370
6023853370
Defendant's Atty(s):
II. Basis of Jurisdiction:
3. Federal Question (U.S. not a party)
III. Citizenship of Principal
Parties (Diversity Cases Only)
Plaintiff:- 5 Non AZ corp and Principal place of Business outside AZ
Defendant:- 1 Citizen of This State
IV. Origin :
1. Original Proceeding
V. Nature of Suit:
441 Voting
VI.Cause of Action:
52 U.S.C. § 20510(b) and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to redress the deprivation,
under color of state law, of rights secured by federal statutes and the
Constitution of the United States.
VII. Requested in Complaint
Class Action:No
Dollar Demand:injunctive relief
Jury Demand:No
VIII. This case is not related to another case.
Signature: Allison L. Kierman
Date: 4/25/16
If any of this information is incorrect, please go back to the Civil Cover Sheet Input form using the Back button in your
browser and change it. Once correct, save this form as a PDF and include it as an attachment to your case opening
documents.
Revised: 01/2014
1
2
3
Name
Bar #
Firm
Address
4
5
6
Telephone
Allison L. Kierman
______________________
024414
______________________
______________________
2800 N. Central Ave.,
______________________
Suite 1230
______________________
Phoenix, AZ 85004
______________________
(602) 385-3370
______________________
7
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
8
FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
9
10
11
Project Vote, Inc.
12
Plaintiff,
13
vs.
14
15
16
Michele Reagan, in her official
capacity as Secretary of State, et al.
Defendant.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Case No.
Corporate Disclosure Statement
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Project Vote, Inc.
This Corporate Disclosure Statement is filed on behalf of ___________________________
in compliance with the provisions of: (check one)
____
✔ Rule 7.1, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a nongovernmental corporate party to an
action in a district court must file a statement that identifies any parent corporation
and any publicly held corporation that owns 10% or more of its stock or states that
there is no such corporation.
____ Rule 12.4(a)(1), Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure, any nongovernmental corporate
party to a proceeding in a district court must file a statement that identifies any
parent corporation and any publicly held corporation that owns 10% or more of its
stock or states that there is no such corporation.
____ Rule 12.4(a)(2), Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure, if an organizational victim of
alleged criminal activity is a corporation the government must file a statement
identifying the victim and the statement must also disclose the information required
by Rule 12.4(a)(1).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
The filing party hereby declares as follows:
✔ No such corporation.
____
____ Party is a parent, subsidiary or other affiliate of a publicly owned corporation as
listed below. (Attach additional pages if needed.)
______________________________________ Relationship__________________________
____ Publicly held corporation, not a party to the case, with a financial interest in the
outcome. List identity of corporation and the nature of financial interest. (Attach
additional pages if needed.)
__________________________________________ Relationship______________________
_____ Other(please explain)
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
10
11
12
13
A supplemental disclosure statement will be filed upon any change in the
information provided herein.
27th
April
2016
Dated this _________
day of __________________,
________.
14
15
s/Allison L. Kierman
_______________________________
Counsel of Record
16
17
18
19
Certificate of Service:
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
-2-
AO 440 (Rev. 06/12) Summons in a Civil Action
for the
District
of Arizona
__________
District
of __________
Project Vote, Inc.
Plaintiff(s)
v.
Michele Reagan, in her official capacity as Secretary
of State, State of Arizona; Helen Purcell, in her
official capacity as County Recorder of Maricopa
County; F. Ann Rodriguez, in her official capacity
Defendant(s)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Civil Action No.
SUMMONS IN A CIVIL ACTION
To: (Defendant’s name and address) Helen Purcell
c/o Maricopa County Clerk of the Board
301 W. Jefferson, 10th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
A lawsuit has been filed against you.
Within 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it) — or 60 days if you
are the United States or a United States agency, or an officer or employee of the United States described in Fed. R. Civ.
P. 12 (a)(2) or (3) — you must serve on the plaintiff an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of
the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The answer or motion must be served on the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney,
whose name and address are: Cynthia A. Ricketts
Sacks, Ricketts & Case, LLP
2800 N. Central Ave., Suite 1230
Phoenix, AZ 85004
If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.
You also must file your answer or motion with the court.
CLERK OF COURT
Date:
Signature of Clerk or Deputy Clerk
AO 440 (Rev. 06/12) Summons in a Civil Action (Page 2)
Civil Action No.
PROOF OF SERVICE
(This section should not be filed with the court unless required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 (l))
This summons for (name of individual and title, if any)
was received by me on (date)
.
u I personally served the summons on the individual at (place)
on (date)
; or
u I left the summons at the individual’s residence or usual place of abode with (name)
, a person of suitable age and discretion who resides there,
on (date)
, and mailed a copy to the individual’s last known address; or
u I served the summons on (name of individual)
, who is
designated by law to accept service of process on behalf of (name of organization)
on (date)
; or
u I returned the summons unexecuted because
; or
u Other (specify):
.
My fees are $
for travel and $
for services, for a total of $
I declare under penalty of perjury that this information is true.
Date:
Server’s signature
Printed name and title
Server’s address
Additional information regarding attempted service, etc:
0.00
.
for the
District
of Arizona
__________
District
of __________
Project Vote, Inc.
Plaintiff(s)
v.
Defendant(s)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Civil Action No.
To: (Defendant’s name and address) Michele Reagan
c/o Mark Brnovich, Arizona Attorney General
1275 W. Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
CLERK OF COURT
Date:
Civil Action No.
PROOF OF SERVICE
.
on (date)
; or
on (date)
, who is
on (date)
; or
; or
u Other (specify):
.
My fees are $
for travel and $
Date:
Server’s address
0.00
.
for the
District
of Arizona
__________
District
of __________
Project Vote, Inc.
Plaintiff(s)
v.
Defendant(s)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Civil Action No.
To: (Defendant’s name and address) F. Ann Rodriguez
c/o Pima County Clerk of the Board
130 W. Congress, 5th Floor
Tucson, AZ 85701
Phoenix, AZ 85004
CLERK OF COURT
Date:
Civil Action No.
PROOF OF SERVICE
.
on (date)
; or
on (date)
, who is
on (date)
; or
; or
u Other (specify):
.
My fees are $
for travel and $
Date:
Server’s address
0.00
.
Case 2:16-cv-01253-DKD Document 1-1 Filed 04/27/16 Page 1 of 56
EXHIBIT 1
EXHIBIT 2
EXHIBIT 3
EXHIBIT 4
EXHIBIT 5
EXHIBIT 6
EXHIBIT 7
August 5, 2014
By E-mail
The Honorable Ken Bennett
Secretary of State
1700 W. Washington Street, Fl. 7
Dear Secretary Bennett:
Project Vote hopes to gain an understanding of your voter list maintenance practices. Pursuant to
Section 8(i) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-6(i)) and
Arizona Revised Statutes Title 39, Chapter 1, Article 2, we respectfully request the following:
1. A list of all registered voters whose registrations have been canceled between May 1,
2014 and the date you respond to this request, including the following information:
a. First name
b. Last name
d. Suffix (if any)
e. Address
f. Date of birth
g. Arizona-assigned voter ID
h. Date canceled
i. Reason canceled
j. For cancelations based on change-of-address:
i. An indication of each voter that was sent a notice requesting updated
address information, and the date the notice was sent
ii. An indication of each voter who responded to the notice, and the date of
the response
iii. An indication of each notice that was returned to election officials by
means other than the voter responding (e.g., returned-as-undeliverable),
what that means of return was, and the date the notice was returned
iv. An indication of each notice that was not, or has not yet been, returned to
election officials
2. A list of all registered voters whose registrations have not been removed but have been
sent a notice requesting updated address information between May 1, 2014 and the date
you respond to this request, including:
a. First name
b. Last name
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Suffix (if any)
Address
Date of birth
Arizona-assigned voter ID
The date each notice was sent to a voter
An indication of each voter that responded to the notice, and the date of the
response
j. An indication of each notice that was returned to election officials by means other
than the voter responding (e.g., returned-as-undeliverable), what that means of
return was, and the date the notice was returned
k. An indication of each notice that was not, or has not yet been, returned to election
officials
3. A sample notice sent to voters that requests updated address information
4. Any records concerning any plans or procedures for list maintenance that you are
conducting or instructing local election authorities to conduct between May 1, 2014 and
November 4, 2014.
To the extent possible, I prefer to inspect this information in an electronic format, such as Excel
files or text files readable by a spreadsheet program. Please note that this information is being
requested for nonpartisan, non-commercial research purposes. As a courtesy, I have included a
completed copy of the State of Arizona Public Records Request form.
I appreciate your time and assistance, and I look forward to your response. If you have any
questions or would like clarification regarding this inquiry, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Stephen Mortellaro
Election Counsel*
Project Vote
805 15th Street NW, Suite 250
(202) 546-4173 ext. 308
[email protected]
*Licensed to practice law only in Maryland. Practice in D.C. limited to cases in federal court.
EXHIBIT 8
EXHIBIT 9
EXHIBIT 10
EXHIBIT 11
EXHIBIT 12
EXHIBIT 13
November2,2015
ViaEmail
Mr.JimDriscoll-MacEachron
AssistantAttorneyGeneral
OfficeoftheArizonaAttorneyGeneral
1275WestWashingtonStreet
Phoenix,Arizona85007-2926
[email protected]
Re:NationalVoterRegistrationActRequest
DearMr.Driscroll-MacEachron:
Thefollowingismyresponsetoyourrequestforrecordsfromthedatabaseand
othersourcesProjectVoterequestsbeavailableforinspection.
1. ProjectVotewouldlikethedatabasefieldslistedbelowavailableforinspection.
Thefieldscorrespondwithavailableinformation,accordingtoyourletter,and
alsoincludearequestforadditionaldate,status,demographic,andactionfields
(seeitemsm,n,ando).
a. Firstname
b. Lastname
c. Middlename
d. Streetnumberandaddress
e. Apartmentnumber
f. City
g. State
h. ZipCode
i. MailingAddress,ifdifferent
j. Phonenumber(includingareacode)
k. Dateofbirth
l. VoterIDnumber(nottheIDnumberprovidedbytheapplicant)
m. DateFields
i. Allfieldsformattedasdate,includingtotheextentthefield
exists:
1. Dateapplicationsubmitted,
805 15TH Street NW • Suite 250 • Washington, DC. 20005
Page 2 of 4
n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.
2. Datethatwoulddetermineiftheapplicationwas
submittedbeforethebookswereclosed,
3. Datetheapplicationwasnotapproved,dateregistered,
changeofstatusdate,and
4. Cancellationdate(datethevoterwasnolonger
consideredonthevotingrollandwouldhavehadto
voteprovisionallyifthevoterappearedatthepolls).
Status/ActionFields–
i. Allfieldsthatcontainastatusoractioncode,includingtothe
extentthefieldexists:
1. CurrentStatus,
2. ReasonforCurrentStatus,
3. VotingHistory,and
4. PastActivities–Letterssent,ResponsestoLetter.
DemographicFields-
i. Allfieldsthatcontaindemographicinformationincluding,to
theextentthefieldexists:
1. Age,
2. Race,
3. Gender,and
4. Ethnicity.
Stateorcountryofbirth
Statusofvoter(suspended,active,inactive,FEDonlyvoter,canceled,
notregistered,noteligibleetc.)
Reasonforstatusofvoter(e.g.,MOV,MOVA,INVR,NVRA,PROV,etc.,
seeArizonaElectionProcedureManualat34(Revised2014))
Whetherthepersonrequestedanearlyvotingballotand/orabsentee
ballot
2. ProjectVotewouldlikethedatalistedbelowmadeavailableforinspection.
a. Allpreviouslyregisteredvoterswhoseregistrationshavebeen
canceledorchangedtoinactivesinceJune2012,andthereasonfor
cancellationorchangetoinactive,dateofcancellation,programor
activityunderwhichtheyhavebeencancelledorcodessufficientto
determinethatinformation(e.g.,NVRA8(d)mailing,NCOAmailing,
InterstateCrosscheck,etc.),andincludingtheinformationlistedinNo.
1(a)-(q).
b. Allpost-October2013voterregistrationapplicantswhowerenot
addedtothelistofeligiblevoters.
c. Allregisteredvoters,and
d. AllrecordsreceivedfromtheKansasSecretaryofStateaspartofthe
InterstateCrossCheckProject.
Page 3 of 4
Iintendtoinspectthedatamadeavailableforinspectiontodetermine
whetherapplicantshavebeenomittedfromthelistofeligiblerolls,or
removedfromthoserolls,becauseofpracticesthatfailtocomplywith
federalelectionslaws.
Ineedtobeabletomanipulatethedatato:
i.
Compiledatatodeterminetheimpactofelectionofficial
practicesonspecificdemographics,jurisdictions,zipcodes,
precinctsandothercharacteristics,
ii.
Matchdatawithotherlists,suchasthelistofpersonsprovided
bytheKansaSecretaryofStateaspartoftheInterstateCross
CheckProject,and
iii.
Analyzedatatodetermineifthereareanomaliesintheway
demographic,geographical,orothersubsetsof
applicants/registeredvotersareprocessed,approvedor
cancelledthatflagapolicyorpracticethatmaynotcomply
withfederallaws.
3. Recordssufficienttoshowthemeaningofallcodes,fields,andabbreviations
usedintheaboverecordssuchasthenameanddescriptionoffieldsinthedata
andadescriptionofeachcodeusedinafield;forexample,thefieldnamed
“FName”isFirstName,ora“P”intheStatusfieldmeans“Pending.”
4. Asampleletterforeachtypeofnoticeusedtonotifypersonsoftheirchangein
voterregistrationstatus.
5. Allwrittenpolicies,manuals,orotherguidanceprovidedtoSecretaryofState
staff,contractors,electionofficials,orotherrelevantpersonsregardingthe
processingofvoterregistrationapplicationsandpreparationofvoterrolls.
Recordsshouldbesufficienttodeterminethemethodsandmeansofhowvoters
wereassignedaparticularcode,includingmatchingcriteriaused.ProjectVote
requeststhesematerialstounderstandhowandwhyeachapplicantisassigned
thestatedreasonsforrejectionorcancelation,aswellascircumstancesunder
whichchangesaremadeinthedatabasefields.
6. TotheextentnotincludedinNo.5above,allwrittenpolicies,manuals,orother
guidanceutilizedtoconductlistmaintenanceactivitiesatthestateorcounty
level.Recordsshouldbesufficienttodeterminethemethodsandmeansofhow
voterswereassignedtoaparticularcode,includingmatchingcriteriaused.To
theextentanyofthisinformationisnotmaintainedbythestate,pleasemakeit
availablefromcountyrecords.
7. Anyandalllistsofvoterregistrationswhichwereprovidedbythestateelection
officialtocountyelectionofficialsforthepurposeofthecountyeithermaking
anychangeinstatusorinvestigatingtherecordforchangeinstatus,alongwith
Page 4 of 4
anyaccompanyingguidance,correspondence,orotherdocumentrelatedtouse
ofthoselistsforsuchpurpose.Recordsprovidedshouldinclude,butnotbe
limitedto,thoserelatedtouseforlistmaintenancepurposesoftheInterstate
CrosscheckProgramadministeredbythestateofKansas.
8. Allcorrespondenceprovidedtoorreceivedfromcountyofficialsrelatedtothe
informationinNo.5andNo.6,above.
Thankyouforworkingwithmetoensureasuccessfulinspection.
Sincerely,
-S-
BrianMellor
GeneralCounsel
ProjectVote
202-553-4317
[email protected]
EXHIBIT 14
DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
Civil Cover Sheet
This automated JS-44 conforms generally to the manual JS-44 approved by the Judicial Conference of the United States in
September 1974. The data is required for the use of the Clerk of Court for the purpose of initiating the civil docket sheet. The
information contained herein neither replaces nor supplements the filing and service of pleadings or other papers as required
by law. This form is authorized for use only in the District of Arizona.
The completed cover sheet must be printed directly to PDF and filed as an attachment
to the Complaint or Notice of Removal.
Plaintiff(s):Project Vote, Inc.
Secretary of State, State of
Arizona, Michele Reagan, in her
official capacity ; County Recorder,
Defendant(s): Maricopa County, Helen Purcell, in
her official capacity ; County
Reorder, Pima County, F. Ann
Rodriguez, in her official capacity
County of Residence: Outside the State of Arizona
County of Residence: Maricopa
County Where Claim For Relief Arose: Maricopa
Plaintiff's Atty(s):
Cynthia Ricketts ( Project Vote, Inc. )
6023853370
Allison Kierman ( Project Vote, Inc. )
6023853370
6023853370
Defendant's Atty(s):
II. Basis of Jurisdiction:
3. Federal Question (U.S. not a party)
III. Citizenship of Principal
Parties (Diversity Cases Only)
Plaintiff:- 5 Non AZ corp and Principal place of Business outside AZ
Defendant:- 1 Citizen of This State
IV. Origin :
1. Original Proceeding
V. Nature of Suit:
441 Voting
VI.Cause of Action:
52 U.S.C. § 20510(b) and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to redress the deprivation,
under color of state law, of rights secured by federal statutes and the
Constitution of the United States.
VII. Requested in Complaint
Class Action:No
Dollar Demand:injunctive relief
Jury Demand:No
VIII. This case is not related to another case.
Signature: Allison L. Kierman
Date: 4/25/16
If any of this information is incorrect, please go back to the Civil Cover Sheet Input form using the Back button in your
browser and change it. Once correct, save this form as a PDF and include it as an attachment to your case opening
documents.
Revised: 01/2014

Project Vote v. Reagan et al: Complaint

Transcription

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